Seongnam FC, the South Korean professional football club based in Seongnam, adopted its current visual identity in 2014 when the club transitioned from a corporate team to a citizen-owned club. The emblem features a magpie, the official bird of Seongnam city, rendered in a modern style. The club’s official website states that the emblem uses the magpie, a symbolic asset of Seongnam, as its subject, with the bird’s long tail symbolizing the dynamism of sport and the club’s bright future, representing Seongnam FC’s will to leap forward and its spirit of challenge.[1]
Design and History
Seongnam FC was founded in 1989 as Ilhwa Chunma, a corporate club. In December 2013, Seongnam City officially took over the club from Ilhwa Co., Ltd., and the club changed its symbol from the chunma, a winged horse associated with the Unification Church, to the magpie, the symbol of Seongnam city.[2] The club was formally re-established as Seongnam Citizen Professional Football Club on January 25, 2014, at a founding ceremony where the new emblem, mascot, and uniforms were unveiled.[3]
The new identity was selected through a public vote. From December 27, 2013, to January 10, 2014, Seongnam City conducted a citizen preference poll for the emblem, mascot, and uniform designs, with three finalist emblems offered: a shield shape featuring a football and Namhansanseong fortress, a sleek rendering of the magpie, and a design combining a football’s hexagon with a soaring magpie and Namhansanseong.[4] The winning emblem, selected by citizen vote, was the design depicting the sleek form of the magpie.[5]
As part of the transition to a citizen club, the team’s uniforms, emblem, and merchandise were all newly designed, and the club’s symbol changed from the chunma to the magpie.[6] The club’s social colors became black and white following the change to a citizen club.[7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The magpie serves as the central motif of the Seongnam FC emblem. According to the club’s official description, the magpie represents Seongnam city, its citizens, and the club itself. The bird’s long tail is specifically cited as symbolizing the dynamism of sports and the club’s bright future, expressing Seongnam FC’s determination and challenging spirit as it moves forward.[1] The magpie is also the official bird of Seongnam city, a fact that directly ties the club’s identity to its local community.[4]
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